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Friday 02 Aug 2013
Adverse events online adverse event reports submitted to the TGA by sponsors and manufacturers of medial devices are now able to be updated online. Online reporting was introduced in Nov 2011, but until now follow up and final reports had to be submitted by email, fax or mail.
THE RIGHT TEMPERATURE “The fridge was a good thing. The others don’t have a fridge. A fridge is fantastic because there is a bewildering array of stuff in the fridge – all the different vaccines and a lot of them are quite similar.”
Guy Ewing
Owner of Barossa Chemplus Pharmacy
PH. 1800 003 673 enquiries@doseinnovations.com www.doseinnovations.com
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Pharmacy smoking push
THE Pharmacy Guild says that Australia’s community pharmacies “stand ready to help smokers quit their expensive and deadly habit,” with a suggestion that some of the increased tobacco excise announced by the government yesterday should be directed to “smoker patient pharmacy support programs”. Guild President Kos Sclavos said that “probably less than 1 per cent” of the estimated $5.3 billion in extra revenue - that would equate to say $50 million - would make a huge difference to outcomes. “Any increase in the tobacco excise is an important part of the armoury of reducing smoking,” he said. “However to be fully effective, it must be accompanied by a
FDA pulls Nova tests THE US Food and Drug Administration says it’s working with Nova Diabetes Care to recall 21 lots of Nova Max Blood Glucose Test Strips and Nova Max Plus Glucose Meter Kits. The recall pertains to certain lots of these test strips distributed in the United States and 14 other countries including Canada, Chile, Peru, the UK, Germany and more but not Australia. As many as 62 million strips may be affected by the recall, with the company saying they became contaminated with a chemical used during the manufacturing process. Patients are being told to discontinue their use immediately, because “a false reading could result in patient harm and delay critical care”.
comprehensive and systemised approach to supporting patients overcome this deadly addiction. “Community pharmacies are well equipped to help smokers take that beneficial step,” Sclavos said, with pharmacists and pharmacy staff already “working very day at the coal face of smoking cessation”. He said that community pharmacies are so often the first point of call for Australians wanting to discuss a variety of health issues, making them ideally placed to “instil the initial motivation to quit smoking.” A systematic approach would include quit management plans, health promotion services, ongoing advice and support, triage and referral services. “The Guild has been a longstanding advocate approach of this active quitting approach for many years and stands ready to roll out such a systemised approach working in collaboration with other health professionals including GPs”.
Medicines safety The TGA has issued the Aug edition of its Medicines Safety Update, with topics including vancomycin and nephrotoxicity, dexmedetomidine hydrochloride and cardiovascular events, as well as bevacizumab and necrotising fascitis. Also covered is dapagliflozin, the first SGLT2 (selective and reversible inhibitor of the sodium-glucose cotransporter 2) - a new class of drugs indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
ACT PSOTY winner TESSA Lane from the University of Canberra has been named the ACT’s 2013 Pharmacy Student of the Year, and will compete for the national title at the PSA’s Pharmacy Australia Congress in Brisbane.
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Friday 02 Aug 2013
Events Calendar WELCOME to Pharmacy Daily’s events calendar, opportunities to earn CPE and CPD points. If you have an upcoming event you’d like us to feature, email info@pharmacydaily.com.au. 2 Aug: Jeans for Genes day; more info at: jeansforgenes.org.au 10-14 Aug: Medici Capital Pharmacy Snow Business 2013, Mt Buller Vic - more info at www.medici.com.au. 3-5 Sep: CHC National Conference and Industry Awards; more info at chc.org.au/Conference-2013 04-07 Sep: Navigating the Future - Pharmacy 2013: The Pharmacy Management Conference; Sheraton Mirage, Port Douglas; More details at: pharmacyconference.com.au. 14-15 Sep: PharmacyLIVE 2013; Novotel, Sydney Olympic Park - see www.psa.org.au 17 Sep, 19 Sep: Pharmaceutical Law Summit, Melbourne (17 Sep), Sydney (19 Sep), for info see www.aventedge.com. 19-22 Sep: Medicines Management 2013, the 39th SHPA National Conference, Cairns Convention Centre www.mm2013shpa.com. 20-22 Sep: Pharmacy Business Network, Canberra; see pharmacybusinessnetwork.com
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Terry White diabetes move Roche Diagnostics says a strong uptake of diabetes initiatives by the Terry White Chemists group during the recent Diabetes Week reflects a “clear demand for pharmacy professional services and strong dedication within pharmacy to manage diabetes at a local level”. TWC pharmacies displayed AccuCheck posters and other visual reminders in prominent positions to raise awareness of the Diabetes Australia initiative, with the group’s National Merchandise Manager Health, Jeff McEvoy, saying it was an important opportunity to
UK nicotine regulation THE UK government has announced that the the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency will regulate nicotine containing products, including electronic cigarettes. The move follows a consultation and further scientific and market research into the safety and quality of these unlicensed products, including how they are used. This has helped the government conclude that by regulating electronic cigarettes and other nicotine containing products (NCPs) as medicinal products, it can ensure that high-quality products can be made available to help support smokers to cut down their smoking. The UK government supports the European Commission’s draft Tobacco Products Directive, and is encouraging applications for medicines licenses for NCPs already on the market.
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engage with customers who are living with the condition as well as those not yet diagnosed. “Pharmacy has an important role to play in addressing diabetes. “It is a condition which has reached epidemic proportions and ... has wide ranging impacts and takes in a large number of pharmacy categories,” McEvoy said. Roche is keen to support community pharmacies by giving them the tools to engage their customers in conversations about diabetes and better diabetes management, according to Connor Holmes, Roche Diagnostics marketing manager, diabetes care. Services offered include Meter Match, a step-by-step guide for pharmacy employees that prompt them to ask simple questions about their patients’ lifestyles and treatment needs and helps to ‘match’ the patient to the meter that best suits their lifestyle. Over 1700 pharmacy staff have completed training on Meter Match since it launched in May this year.
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DISPENSARY CORNER Australian ingenuity has triumphed once again - this time in the erstwhile endeavour of Rubik’s Cube speed solving. Aussie Feliks Zemdegs has been crowned the 2013 Rubik’s Cube World Champion, after a very tense three day event which attracted almost 600 competitors from 37 countries. Taking place at the Riviera Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas (where else!) participants competed in 17 classic and non-traditional “official cubing events”. 17-year-old Zemdegs scored a fastest average time of just 8.18 seconds for solving the classic 3x3 Cube, with a fastest single-solve of 7.36 seconds. The Aussie champ also won the 4x4 and the One Handed 3x3 categories in the competition. Other speed events included solving the cube blindfolded, as well the “3x3 with feet,” won by Poland’s Jakub Kipa in 33.6 secs.
WIN KING KRILL FROM This week Pharmacy Daily has teamed up with Caruso’s Natural Health and is giving five lucky readers the chance to win a King Krill 500mg 120s, valued at $64.95 each. In 1979 Frank Caruso’s life changed forever. He discovered that good bowel management, good nutrition and regular exercise were the secrets to maintaining vibrant health. In 1982 Frank opened his first health food shop. In 1995 Frank decided to start his own range of supplements, Totally Natural Products (now Caruso’s Natural Health). Today Frank has a team of passionate experts helping him. Because of their dedication Frank stands behind his products with a 100% money back guarantee (see website for more details - www.carusosnaturalhealth.com.au. To win, be the first person to send in the correct answer to the daily question below to: comp@pharmacydaily.com.au.
True or False. Frank offers a 100% Money Back Guarantee on all of his products. Congratulations to yesterday’s lucky winner, Kaye Hazel from Angel Medicine.
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Pharmacy Daily is a publication for health professionals of Pharmacy Daily Pty Ltd ABN 97 124 094 604. All content fully protected by copyright. Please obtain written permission from the editor to reproduce any material. While every care has been taken in the preparation of Pharmacy Daily no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial is taken by Bruce Piper.